Jump Around

Jump-rope

Earlier this week I recommended the foundation for any home gym on a budget, I mean $150 can go a long way! It doesn’t take much to get in a serious sweat! Exhibit A: the jump rope. You can get one for about $25 and it is the gift that keeps on giving. Perfectly portable I take mine with me EVERYWHERE when I travel and stash it in my gym bag when I’m at home to either warm up at the gym or bang out a quick set of the below. Jump ropes are incredible because not only does your heart rate hike up, but you don’t need a lot of space to execute and the learning curve is (SOMEWHAT) minimal. Although, I gotta say I am still working on some of the fast feet drills below – progress, not perfection – that’s what we say, right?! Like anything in the gym (and in life) there are several ways you can challenge yourself and below ways you can apply that to this exercise.

Crossovers
Cross your arms in front of you and jump through the loop that you create. The loop size will vary until you really get the hang of the technique. You need to keep your upper body straight while you cross your arms. Still looking for another challenge? Jump one foot at a time or increase the speed of your swing.

Double Jumps
Talk about intensity! To slam a double jump, you have to jump high enough, or swing the rope fast enough, to get it under your feet two times. Go on, get yourself some air.

High Knees
Lifting your knees high in the air and alternating one at a time. This is definitely next level, so try it for a few a seconds and then resume normal jumping. This is one drill where practice will make perfect (ish) so give yourself some slack as you catch on to the feel. You control the pace so swing in cadence with your movement.

If you’re feeling ambitious try any one of these sweet moves.

Give one of the workouts below a whirl to put your rope to good use.

10 Minute Continuous Jump
For 10 minutes and jump rope continuously. Mix up your speed and take breaks as needed, but if you do make sure you pause your timer. Try not to give yourself more than 20 seconds for a breather. You’ll pick it up pretty quickly so if you can’t get yourself through the entire 10 minutes right away you’ll get there in no time. Trust!

30/30’s
Set your phone or a timer and jump rope as quickly as you can for 30 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat this cycle for however long you want.

Tabatas
Yes. HIIT! We love it. Jump as fast as you can for 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds. You know the drill! Repeat this for 8 total rounds (4 minutes). Start out gradually here. If you do so consistently you’ll feel yourself improve your conditioning, endurance and fat loss result over time.

Jumping rope is a full body workout that will burn a shiz ton of calories and whip you in shape. In fact, some sources will say that jumping rope for 10 minutes gives similar cardiovascular benefits as swimming for 20 minutes or jogging for 30 minutes. Don’t take my word for it though, read more here.

 

Image via: Creative Bioscience

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